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PORTAGE PARK — The family of a Portage Park woman who was allegedly killed by her husband earlier this week is raising money for her funeral.
54-year-old Lacramioara Beldie was fatally stabbed in Portage Park on Tuesday, authorities said. Lacramioara Beldie’s husband, Constantin Beldie, has been accused of the murder. He was found dead later Tuesday evening in a car about a block away, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Court records show Constantin Beldie, 57, had a history of abusing his wife.
On Friday, Lacramioara Beldie’s children, Ani, Antonio and Felix, launched a GoFundMe to raise money for their mother’s burial.
According to reporting from the Chicago Tribune, Lacramioara Beldie, who friends called Mirela, worked as a nanny. The fundraiser, organized by her daughter Ani Beldie, said she was “a second mother to many.”
“She poured her heart into caring for others, creating lasting relationships with the families she worked with,” Ani Beldie wrote. “Her nurturing spirit, patience, and devotion touched the lives of children and parents alike, and her legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to know her.”
Funds raised will go towards transporting Lacramioara Beldie back to her native Romania and towards a memorial service, the fundraiser stated. The GoFundMe has a goal of $20,000, as of Saturday morning around $13,500 had been raised.
In the GoFundMe, Ani Beldie wrote that her mother’s “soul was a ray of light.”
“Her spirit left an everlasting mark on all who had the privilege of crossing her path. No matter what life threw her way, Mirela wore a smile that radiated warmth, compassion, and love,” Ani Beldie wrote. “Even through the hardest of times, her positive attitude and unyielding kindness shone brightly, bringing comfort and joy to those around her.”
Ani Bedlie could not immediately be reached for comment.
Court records show that Lacramioara Beldie and Constantin Beldie had been married for around 30 years, but were separated. Lacramioara Beldie sought an order of protection against her husband in January, according to court records. She alleged her husband had “been physically and emotionally” abusive throughout their long relationship and would often make death threats, including “I can kill you now and put you in a bag and take you to the lake” and “You know how easy it is to kill someone?” according to the Sun-Times.
Lacramioara Beldie sought a second order of protection in October after her husband allegedly tried to kidnap her. She was granted the emergency order of protection, but Judge Thomas E. Nowinski released Constantin Beldie on GPS monitoring, according to court documents.
Around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Constantin Beldie allegedly stabbed his wife in the 5600 block of West Leland Avenue. An off-duty Chicago police detective who witnessed the stabbing and tried to intervene suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound during the incident. Police did not say who fired the bullet that struck the officer.
Elected officials and domestic violence advocates have said the Cook County justice system failed Lacramioara Beldie by releasing her husband despite his record of violence.
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